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E S AFS PATNT OFFICE.

THOS. K. WORK, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CURTAIN -FIXTURE Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 20,013, dated April 20,1858.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, THOMAS K. WORK, of Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and ImprovedFixture for Window Shades and Curtains; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,in which- Figure l, is a front or face View of /a window with a shadeapplied to it provided with my improved fixture, which is bisectedvertically as indicated by the line fr, Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a planor top view of ditto. F ig. 8, is a transverse section of ditto, takenin the line y, Fig. 2. Fig. t, is a detached inner View of the shell orcase of my improvement.

Similar letters vof reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral figures.

This invention consists in a novel application of friction rollers to asemi-circular yoke, the rollers and yoke being fitted within or to acase, and the whole arranged as hereinafter shown, whereby the shade orcurtain may be retained at any desired height by friction produced bythe pressure of the friction rollers on the shade roller and the shaderoller relieved of the friction whenever it is turned by the band, thefriction rollers causing the band to encircle the roller to an extentfully sufcient t-oV insure the rotation of the same, and the case whichcontains the friction -rollers and yoke being so constructed that theymay be applied at either side of the window and either at the front orside of the window casing as may be desired. Y

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention I will proceed to describe it.

A, A1, represent two cases which are constructed of metal and may becast entire. Each case may be described as being a plate provided at oneside with projecting ears a,

having screw holes through them by which the plates may be secured tothe front sides of the casing B, as shown in Fig. 2. These projectingears a, are at both edges of the cases so that each case may be placedat either side of the window. The plates also have screw holes madethrough them as shown in Fig. 4L, so that they may be screwed to thesides of the window casing when necessary. The plate A, has asemi-circular yoke c, on its inner side and at its upper part, and tothe lower part of the plate A, and from the side where the yoke isformed there is a horizontal projection al, having a vertical pin c,attached.

C, is a bar which is fitted loosely on the pin e, the pin passing intothe center of the bar. This pin has a spiral ispring g, placed on it,the bar resting on the spring. The bar C, has a friction roller L,fitted in each end of it.

D, is the roller to which the upper end of the shade or curtain F, isattached. One end of this roller is fitted between the friction rollersh, it, and the yoke c, and the opposite end merely rests in asemi-circula bearing c', attached to plate A1.

F, represents an endless band which passes around one end of the rollerD, between it and the friction rollers it, 7L, as plainly shown'in Fig.3. The lower part of the band F, merely has a ring or tassel j, attachedto it. It does not pass around any pulley. f

From the above description of parts it will be seen that the rollers L,z, perform very essential functions. In the first place in consequenceof the spring they press the end of the roller up against the yoke c, sothat the roller will be prevented from turning and the shade retained atany desired height. In the second place the rollers cause the endlessband F, to encircle the roller D, so as to obtain a large bearingsurface to insure t-he rotation of the roller D, as the band is moved.It will also be seen from the within description that whenever the bandF, is turned or operated the rollers L, h, owingA to the pull of theband F, will be depressed and the roller D, freed from the yoke c,thereby avoiding all unnecessari7 friction.

This improvement has been practically tested and it operates well and isespecially applicable to large heavy shades, as suc shades may by itsuse be rolled up with but a slight exertion or expenditure 'of power, asthere is no friction to be overcome, that which is employed forretaining the shade being avoided by the act of turning the band F, aspreviously referred to.

The invention is simple may be cheaply constructed, and readily appliedby almost any one.

I do not claim broadly t he application of friction rollers to the shaderoller, nor do I claim any of the parts separately, but

Having thus described my invention,

5 what I claim as new and by Letters Patent, is,

desire to secure 1. The Within specified arrangenlent, consist-ing ofrollers 71 h, bar

case A endless band E r l0 purpose set forth.

C, pin e, yoke c, oller D-or the 2. I claim in combination With theabove the plates A, A1 constructed With projecting ears a, as shown, sothat the plates may be attached either to the front or side of theWindow casing as may desired.

THOMAS K. WORK.

Witnesses:

EDWARD GOODMAN, CHARLES Gr. GEEK.

